The strain of a war about to enter its second winter was showing on both sides of the Russia-Ukraine border Monday.
Russia has lost more than 930 soldiers per day in November as a result of heavy fighting in the Donbas region of eastern Ukraine, the highest monthly loss rate of the conflict since the invasion began in February 2022, British defense intelligence officials said Monday.
The casualty count surpasses March 2023, previously the deadliest reported month for Russia, with an average of 776 combat losses per day, the latest daily intelligence assessment from Britain said on Monday.
British defense intelligence officials said they could not independently confirm the casualty rates reported by the Ukrainian General Staff, but said the figures are plausible — taken as a total including killed and wounded — given the nature of the recent fighting.
“The last six weeks have likely seen some of the highest Russian casualty rates of the war so far,” British officials said Monday on social media. “The heavy losses have largely been caused by Russia’s offensive against the Donbas town of Avdiivka.”
Separately, the government of Ukraine was preparing an overhaul of its military draft as it struggles to sustain capacity against its bigger, more populous neighbor. The changes are designed to allow private firms to carry out more targeted conscription and to match recruits with the skills they bring to military service.
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Oleksiy Danilov, secretary of Ukraine’s Security Council, told the Guardian newspaper Monday that the army was contracting with two of Ukraine’s biggest recruitment companies to seek out those with specific skills, and to do a better match of skills to cut down on draft dodging rates.
“The mobilization will become more flexible, those specialities that are required will be announced, and people will be volunteering for a concrete position. For example, they need welders or mechanics and so on,” Mr. Danilov told the British newspaper.
The Associated Press also reported Monday that Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov will make his first visit to a NATO member since the war began when he attends a meeting in North Macedonia of the foreign ministers of the 57 nations belonging to the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken is expected to attend the gathering, but Russian officials said no meeting with Mr. Lavrov is on the agenda. Mr. Lavrov is expected to meet with other foreign ministers while in the Macedonian capital of Skopje.
NATO members banned Russian flights after Moscow invaded Ukraine. To reach North Macedonia, Mr. Lavrov’s plane would need to fly through the airspace of Bulgaria or Greece, which also belong to the Western military alliance.
Speaking at a meeting in Moscow on Monday, Mr. Lavrov said Bulgaria apparently has given permission for an overflight.
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“It appears that Bulgaria promised Macedonia to open its airspace,” he said. “If it works, we will get there.”
• This article was based in part on wire service reports.
• Mike Glenn can be reached at mglenn@washingtontimes.com.
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